Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein launched a hunger strike to protest at the murder of one of his lawyers. "Saddam and 55 other detainees are on a hunger strike since yesterday after the killing of Khamis al-Obeidi," said Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam's lead lawyer.

One of Saddam's senior lawyers, Khamis al-Obeidi, was abducted from his home Wednesday and shot dead in a Baghdad street.

According to AFP, Dulaimi said Saddam and the others want US and international committees to give guarantees "for the security of the other defense lawyers."

A US military spokesman, contacted about the protest, said he was "unaware of the strike and will check it out."

Obeidi was the third lawyer for Saddam to have been killed since their trial started in October 2005.